How does hypnotherapy work?

Wondering about hypnotherapy aka hypnosis therapy? You might be asking “How does hypnosis work?” or “Is hypnosis real?” This article has all the information you need.

Hypnosis therapy (also known as hypnotherapy or clinical hypnotherapy) is known to be effective for treating a variety of issues, both mental and physical.

But, what, exactly, is therapeutic hypnosis treatment? How does it work? Which issues can it treat? And, is hypnotherapy safe?

When people hear the word “therapy,” their mind often goes straight to traditional talk therapy.

But talking isn’t the only way to inspire change.

There are other therapies that offer treatment by working directly with the body and/or mind—including EMDR, brainspotting, and hypnosis therapy.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about hypnosis and hypnotism—including how hypnotherapy works, who it’s for, and what you can expect from treatment.

What is hypnosis—and what is hypnotherapy?

In order to understand hypnotherapy, you first have to understand hypnosis.

“Hypnosis is a natural state of focused awareness where the mind is more open to suggestions,” says clinical hypnotist and mindset coach Hellen Buttigieg. “The conscious mind goes offline, clearing the path for the subconscious to be more accessible.”

During hypnosis, “the brain is in a theta wave state,” says Walker—”which is attached to deep relaxation.”

The relaxed state and increased access to the subconscious—as well as the increased suggestibility—are what make hypnosis so effective at creating change.

“The subconscious mind controls 90 to 95 percent of our thoughts and actions, so [hypnosis goes] right to the source,” says Buttigieg.

So, now that you understand hypnosis therapy, let’s jump into hypnotherapy.

“Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic approach using hypnosis as a tool to guide people seeking change, healing, and personal growth,” says Buttigieg.

Or, to put it another way, “a therapeutic practice in which hypnosis is used and suggestions are employed for the purpose of helping with various issues,” says Walker.

More on what issues hypnosis can help with in a bit.

(It should be noted that sometimes the terms “hypnosis” and “hypnotherapy” are used interchangeably.)

How does hypnosis work?

So, how does hypnosis work—and why is it so effective?

“The conscious mind, which is in control during times of task completion, paying strict attention, is resistant to change and has a ‘gatekeeper’ function,” says Walker.

And that “gatekeeper” quality can make it hard to make real progress in therapy. “‘Talk’ therapies that make use of logic—and therefore the conscious mind—can take a long time to work because of the resistance put up by the conscious mind,” says Walker.

Hypnosis accesses the subconscious mind

“Hypnosis works by accessing the subconscious mind,” says Walker. “The brain is in a theta brainwave state—and in this state of deep relaxation, the subconscious mind is open to suggestions.”

And those suggestions can help plant the seed for positive change.

“All behavior comes from the subconscious mind and is driven by our deep-seated beliefs,” says Los Angeles-based licensed clinical psychologist and certified hypnotherapist Nancy Irwin, PsyD. “Changing these beliefs—and with reinforcement and the passage of time—positive change occurs.”

Or, to put it another way, hypnotherapy allows you to get your conscious and subconscious mind on the same page.

“To make lasting changes, the subconscious mind must be aligned with our conscious goals,” says Buttigieg. “It’s the disconnect between the two that causes resistance and challenges.”

The client must be open to hypnosis for it to work

One thing that’s important to note?

While there’s plenty of research to back up the effectiveness of hypnotherapy, this treatment modality only works if the patient or client is open to it—and wants to and believes that it will work.

“Hypnosis will only work if you have the belief and expectation that it will work—much like the placebo effect,” says Buttigieg.

Why? Because hypnosis relies on receptivity.

In order for it to work, the patient or client has to be open and receptive to the suggestions explored in session.

“It only works because the client wants it to work,” says Irwin.

What can hypnotherapy treat?

Another question many people ask about hypnotherapy is, “Hypnosis can help you do what?”

“Hypnosis can be quite effective in a number of therapeutic applications,” says Walker.

Hypnotherapy is used as a treatment for a variety of issues, “such as phobias, habit cessation, such as smoking, aiding in weight loss or management, relaxation, or insomnia,” according to Walker.

It can also be used as a treatment for mental health issues. “Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma…can also be treated using hypnosis, especially when partnered with other therapeutic modalities,” says Walker.

Hypnosis therapy may also be used to treat certain physical issues, like chronic pain, headaches, or even certain illnesses.

“There are also physical symptoms and autoimmune disorders that have been alleviated as the mind and body are connected and unexpressed emotion takes a toll on physical health,” says Walker.

What does hypnotherapy entail?

Now that you know what hypnotherapy is, how it works, and what it treats, let’s jump into what an actual session might look like.

There are different ways to approach hypnotherapy (and different practitioners will have their own approaches), but Buttigieg gave insight into how she approaches her sessions.

Hypnosis

Buttigieg starts with hypnotizing the patient. “We begin by inducing a trance state, shifting the brain into a slower wave pattern, to bypass the firewall of the mind known as critical faculty and access the subconscious mind,” says Buttigieg. “This is where we hold ingrained beliefs and emotions that run our lives.”

Mental detox

Once the client is in the hypnotized state, Buttigieg performs what she calls a mental detox, which is “like a decluttering of the negative emotions that are keeping us stuck. We clear out the unwanted to make space for the ‘good stuff’ that comes next.”

Suggestions

“This ‘good stuff’ comes in the form of positive suggestions to reprogram the mind for the desired behaviour, by reframing thought patterns and associations,” says Buttigieg. So, for example, if a client was trying to quit smoking, the suggestion might be “I no longer need or crave cigarettes.”

Return to normal state

The last part of the session involves bringing the client out of hypnosis and back to their regular state. “We gradually emerge the client out of their trance state,” says Buttigieg. “Most people come back calm and refreshed, feeling like they’ve just had a good afternoon nap—although they weren’t sleeping—they were just in a blissfully relaxed state.”

In terms of session length, sessions typically last an hour or so, and can be done in person or by video conferencing, according to Buttigieg. “Both are effective methods, so it’s personal choice,” she says.

And, as mentioned earlier, because hypnotherapy bypasses the conscious mind (and the resistance to change that often exists there), many clients see results quickly.

“Some see improvement in just 1 or 2 sessions—while others need a few more,” says Buttigieg. “Compare this to the years many people spend in talk therapies!”

Is hypnosis real?

Hypnosis therapy is a widely used modality. But there are also many people that question its validity—especially because there are a lot of non-clinical uses of hypnosis (for example, during stage shows) that seem less than credible.

So, the question is: is hypnosis real?

“While often misunderstood or dramatized, hypnosis is real and natural,” says Buttigieg. “There is a wealth of research and scientific evidence to prove it’s real and effective; brain imaging studies show changes in brain activity during hypnosis.”

“Hypnosis has been used for thousands of years in different forms,” Buttigieg continues. “Before modern medicine, hypnosis was used successfully for healing, pain management and surgery without anesthesia.”

Is hypnosis dangerous?

Similar to questioning its validity, there are some that question the safety of hypnotherapy; if a therapist has you in a state when you’re highly suggestible, can they make suggestions you don’t agree with or make do things you don’t want to do?

“Hypnosis—when conducted—by a trained practitioner is safe,” says Dr. Kimberly Walker, a psychiatrist and coach with experience using hypnotherapy.

“None of us can make anyone else do anything they do not want to do,” says Irwin. “That would be mind control…and not hypnosis, which respects a client’s wishes.”

That being said, hypnotherapy isn’t for everyone. According to Walker, “Hypnosis shouldn’t be used in patients with psychosis due to a risk of having difficulty with differentiation of fantasy from reality depending upon the material reviewed during regression.”.

Before starting hypnosis therapy, consult with your doctor to make sure it’s an appropriate treatment for you—especially if you have a mental illness and/or physical illness that requires medication.

Sources:

1. Cleveland Clinic. Hypnosis.
2. Mayo Clinic. Hypnosis.
3. Pierson, Judith. (2022). The Power of the Subconscious Mind.
4. Rosendahl, Jenny. Alldredge, Cameron. Haddenhorst, Antonia. (2024.) Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: a 20-year perspective.
5. Fontanelli, Lorenzo. Spina, Vincenzo. Chisari, Carmelo. Siciliano, Gabriel. Santarcangelo, Enrica. (2022). Is hypnotic assessment relevant to neurology?
6. Wolf, Thomas Gerhard. Faeber, Karin Anna. Rummel, Christian. Halsband, Ulrike. Campus, Guglielmo. (2022). Functional Changes in Brain Activity Using Hypnosis: A Systematic Review.

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